Method and apparatus for making concrete brick having antique appearance

Abstract

The method and apparatus for making concrete brick in a manner such that at least both elongated sides of the brick have an antique appearance. In the method for making the concrete brick, coloring material is spread on a pallet after which a plurality of concrete bricks are molded with their side faces engaging the material on the pallet. The moisture in the bricks wets the material and causes such material to adhere to the bricks, such coloring material imparting a mottled effect to the brick. Additional coloring material is applied to the uppermost side of the bricks and is smeared or streaked by a brush or roller. Thereafter the pallet is moved to another area where the bricks are cured and stored. In the apparatus a first hopper is provided which discharges coloring material onto an empty pallet that passes below the same. The pallet is moved into a concrete brick-making machine where a plurality of bricks are formed on their sides with the lowermost side in engagement with the coloring material. Thereafter a second hopper discharges coloring material onto the upper side of the bricks and such coloring material on the top is spread lengthwise. The forming of the bricks on the coloring material on the pallet provides a mottled effect on one side of the brick and the spreading of the coloring material provides a streaked effect on the other side so that a different antique appearance is imparted to opposite sides of the brick.

I claim: 
     
       1. The method of making a brick having a different antique appearance on opposite sides only comprising the steps of spreading a first quantity of dry coloring material on a generally flat surface, molding at least one brick of liquefied hardenable material on said surface, said brick having a first side engaging said first quantity of coloring material so that the liquid in said hardenable material saturates said dry coloring material and imparts a mottled effect to said one side of said brick, placing a second quantity of coloring material on a second side of said brick which is remote from said first quantity of coloring material, spreading said second quantity of coloring material along said second side of said brick to impart a streaked effect thereto, spraying a liquid on said second quantity of coloring material to saturate the same, and curing said brick, whereby said coloring material on one side of said brick has a first appearance and the coloring material on the opposite side has a different appearance. 
     
     
       2. The method of making bricks having an antique appearance comprising the steps of intermittently moving a substantially flat pallet along a predetermined path, automatically spreading a first quantity of dry flowable coloring material on the upper surface of said pallet while said pallet is moving, interrupting the movement of said pallet, molding a plurality of concrete bricks on said coloring material carried by said pallet while the pallet is not moving so that the liquid in the concrete saturates the dry coloring material and imparts a mottled effect to one side of each of said bricks, moving said pallet and said bricks along said path, automatically placing a second quantity of dry flowable coloring material onto a second side of said bricks remote from said first quantity of coloring material, spreading said second quantity of coloring material on said bricks to impart a streaked effect to said second side of said bricks, spraying a liquid on said second coloring material to saturate the same, and curing said bricks, whereby substantially two opposite sides only of said bricks have coloring material thereon.